stain or dye under an external varnish/finish

[Kev]

Hi all,

I need to build some units for a client that need to be finished with a dark wood stain. Trouble is they are also going to be used outside (will be wheeled outside during the day and back inside at night). They will be under an awning but will still be exposed to outside moisture etc. Was therefore going to top coat them in some type of phenolic varnish (yacht varnish or something similar). Does anyone know or have had experience of this and whether the varnish will affect the dye/stain and therefore which dye/stain is best to use. Spoke to Liberon who said their spirit dye would not be suitable which surprised me. Was also looking at a gel stain which is oil based. I know I will have to test some samples but just wondered if someone had tried something similar.

Any ideas?

Kev

 

[ColeyS1]

I think sikkens hls would be perfect for this. Hls is basically just the colour/base coat, then usually a top coat (filter 7) is used ontop for outside use.
For your situation just the hls base coat and yacht varnish should be fine

Coley

 

[Flynnwood]

Microporous - let the wood breathe.

http://www.johnstonestrade.com/products ... inish.aspx

http://www.johnstonestrade.com/products ... stain.aspx

http://www.johnstonestrade.com/products ... stain.aspx

 

[ED65]

Was therefore going to top coat them in some type of phenolic varnish (yacht varnish or something similar). Does anyone know or have had experience of this and whether the varnish will affect the dye/stain and therefore which dye/stain is best to use.

No fundamental difference between yacht varnish and an interior varnish in that regard.

Spoke to Liberon who said their spirit dye would not be suitable which surprised me.

Lightfastness issues I would bet.

Was also looking at a gel stain which is oil based. I know I will have to test some samples but just wondered if someone had tried something similar.

That's along the lines of what I was going to timidly suggest. I really hate to even mention a product like this but "wood stain", the kind of stuff sold for front doors, might be a good bet here.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I need to build some units for a client that need to be finished with a dark wood stain. Any ideas?

In this situation I'd suggest a stain rather than a dye. Stains contain pigments, whereas dyes don't, and pigments help reduce the damage caused by UV light, and tend to be more stable with regards to colour, i.e., less fugitive. You can tell if you're using stain because the container will have written on it something like 'stir product well before and during use to disperse solids'. Dyes don't have solids so there's no need to stir. Most stains are oil based meaning the solvent is usually white spirit and/or naphtha.

Oil based varnishes of all types, long oil, short oil and medium oil all have much the same effect regards affecting colour change as each other, but the long oil types, yacht varnishes, etc are more flexible. Given the stated intermittent use of the finished item outside, but presumably protected from 80 - 90% of direct sunlight and rain, I can't see any particular advantage of using yacht varnish over interior varnish - there's not much in it in my opinion. Slainte.

 

[andersonec]

Rustins Wood Dyes can be used for outdoors timber and is one of the best to apply in my opinion, it soaks in and is easy to apply evenly, lots of colours to choose from and more coats can be applied to make it darker. The finish you apply on top is uo to you but outdoors needs something like Osmo UV Protector.

Andy